"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...

Good that you are researching it. For me the minimum requirements are the
load cell to test and the Statics textbook to learn the failure mechanisms,
some of which may not be evident to you like web shear, beam crippling and
the Euler limit.

Do what you want, but don't expect written approval.

jsw

I understand, it can be dangerous, I plan to test in a hopefully safe
manner. Most times I feel more in danger driving on the road with idiots
than anything I do that I can control. It seems odd that the army manuals
can achieve more lift with a couple of timbers, pulleys, and rope than
metalworkers can with steel, welders, hydraulics, & winches.

RogerN